The state of the art in splicing tools used by telephone cable splicing technicians is splicing tray having a cylindrical bore at one end and a thumb screw threaded transversely to the bore. A smooth cylindrical rod engages the bore in the tray and extends to a clamping device. The clamping device has a thumb screw to lock the cylindrical rod. The clamping device also has a simple clamping mechanism specifically adapted to hang the splicing tool from a horizontal support cable near the work site. The support cable, typically 1/4"-3/8" galvanized wire rope, that the clamping device hangs from is obviously not the telephone cable that is going to be spliced. Rather, a pre-existing support cable must be located vertically above the work site in order to use the splicing tool.
A significant drawback of the splicing tool is that the clamping device is not readily adapted to be used in conditions where there is no pre-existing support cable. Many splicing jobs require splicing on ladders or at ground level sites where numerous support surfaces are available, but there is nothing to clamp clamping device to. Thus, there presently exists the need for a clamping apparatus which permits the slicing tool to be used in a variety of different work site situations.